any updates on the availability of primers

Tater Pickens · February 01, 2021, 10:22:39 AM

Still looking for large pistol primers. Any of you guys have any updated info?

Froogal · February 01, 2021, 11:58:31 AM

I've got nothing. I mentioned pretty much the same thing on facebook and everybody just laughed.

Abilene · February 01, 2021, 12:56:38 PM

Well, the people laughing are the people who are stocked up. Everybody else is crying (or the kind of laugh that crazy people do just before they get locked up???

)

Froogal · February 01, 2021, 01:36:59 PM

Quote from: Abilene on February 01, 2021, 12:56:38 PM
Well, the people laughing are the people who are stocked up. Everybody else is crying (or the kind of laugh that crazy people do just before they get locked up??? )

I've been giving that some thought. It seems that the standard answer is "you should have stocked before the shortage hit".

Well guess what, if ALL of us had stocked up, then the shortage would have occurred MUCH, MUCH sooner.

Abilene · February 01, 2021, 02:02:12 PM

Seems that in this modern era, almost everyone gets caught shorthanded once. You learn from that and try to be more prepared. Obviously happens more to newer shooters/reloaders. I learned from the big shortage several years ago and did stock up a year or so ago, before Covid, but not enough (yet another learning experience). This shortage is definitely the worst, so if you thought hoarding was bad before, it will get worse. Most reloaders will try to build up their supplies, when able, to much higher levels than previously. So this shortage is going to be prolonged by future hoarding.

LongWalker · February 01, 2021, 07:16:59 PM

Froogal, I don't think anyone here is laughing at you. The folks here who have their stashes all recognize competition shooting will take a hit due to the lack of ammo availability, as well as the ongoing issues with Covid. And it isn't just primers that are in short supply. There was a major outburst of "flinter's laughter" here at my house when I had a half-dozen people call or stop by to "borrow" percussion caps for deer season. Seems no one had any in stock. A couple mentioned they'd have a flinter next year--but flints are sold out all over too! Me, I'm going be down on the Platte with a rock this summer, knapping out flints like I did in high school.

For the foreseeable future, it looks like ammo and components are going to be "available" on a catch-as-catch-can basis. Its been like that before, more often for particular calibers or cartridges than across the board, but this isn't the first time. I think this is going to change the habits of some folks, we'll have to see if that is good or bad.

I suspect availability of ammo/components is going to become more of a consideration for folks. Maybe some people will start to realize that matched revolver/carbine chamberings was done for a reason, way back when. I'm watching for a Rossi in .357 or .44, because I have access to ammo for them. A Model P in either cartridge makes more sense now than the .32-20 I have.

Judging by what I've been seeing on ebay, it looks like bullet casting may make a major jump in popularity. We'll see if that lasts. Looks like the popularity of handloading is going to jump as well. So we'll see. . . .

Abilene · February 01, 2021, 07:41:06 PM

Quote from: LongWalker on February 01, 2021, 07:16:59 PM
...Judging by what I've been seeing on ebay, it looks like bullet casting may make a major jump in popularity. We'll see if that lasts. . . . .

And I'll bet in a few years there will be a fair amount of barely used casting equipment listed on the Classifieds.

DeaconKC · February 01, 2021, 08:37:48 PM

I am a good example of learning from the last shortage. I got into the habit of just grabbing a box or two of extra ammo, so I am very good shape on most factory loaded stuff. But, I did not foresee the primer shortage coming, so I have had to pay extra to obtain enough primers for the rest of this year's shooting. Powder I am okay on, but as Abilene said, many got caught flatfooted.

Abilene · February 01, 2021, 09:41:07 PM

So a year or 2 back somebody on the other Wire mentioned that Brownells was having a sale with free hazmat and free shipping for $150 orders, well that's easy to get to with Primers! I had a few thousand on hand, but recalling the previous shortage, I ordered 5K SPP and 5K LPP (yeah, yeah, shoulda ordered a lot more! I was trying to not be greedy

). So now I'm on their mailing list which has sales email just about daily, but they are easy enough to delete if nothing interesting.
Months later they had the same offer, so that time I put the word out. Of course, that was a different time in a different universe! Won't be seeing anything like that for, maybe, ever?

This of course doesn't help now or in the near future with those who are short. As LongWalker sez, competitive shooting in particular is going to take a hit, so try to be constructive with your new found free time! Dry fire practice is good, or so I've heard.

Cliff Fendley · February 01, 2021, 10:44:29 PM

Quote from: Froogal on February 01, 2021, 01:36:59 PM
I've been giving that some thought. It seems that the standard answer is "you should have stocked before the shortage hit".

Well guess what, if ALL of us had stocked up, then the shortage would have occurred MUCH, MUCH sooner.

Not really, think about it. If everyone had just picked up a box whenever they walked past full shelves the past few years there wouldn't be as bad of shortage now and production would have kept up then.

I probably haven't bought any for almost 6 years because I had accumulated so many from buying a little at a time since the last shortage. Up until a year ago the shelves were full, I do wish I had picked up an extra box each time I walked past fully stocked shelves. I would be a little more comfortable with my supply not knowing how long this will last.

River City John · February 01, 2021, 11:08:59 PM

I will definitely be shooting more cap 'n' ball revolver and keep cartridge primers for the '66.

Major 2 · February 01, 2021, 11:13:30 PM

Percussion caps have not been exempt by the scalpers

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890656366

River City John · February 01, 2021, 11:46:14 PM

Quote from: Major 2 on February 01, 2021, 11:13:30 PM
Percussion caps have not been exempt by the scalpers

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/890656366

Fortunately I had stocked up on caps for last year as that was my plan then, to shoot more cap 'n' ball pistol, but never implemented it due to the pandemic.

Froogal · February 02, 2021, 08:57:17 AM

So just when did this "last" shortage occur? I've been into this hobby for only the last 12 years or so, and I have NEVER experienced any kind of shortage in either loaded ammo or reloading components until recently. I was always able to find what I needed, when I needed it, at local gun shows.

DeaconKC · February 02, 2021, 11:26:13 AM

Froogal, it would have happened right after the Sandy Hook shooting under President Obama. ARs were impossible to find, .223 and 9mm just were unobtainium and folks were really afraid of what legislation he would try to pass. Nowhere near the level of this current run.

Coffinmaker · February 02, 2021, 02:02:46 PM

Wait till the Punters . . er . . Bidders find CCI #10 don't fit much anything these days.

What-a-Gouge

Froogal · February 02, 2021, 03:33:03 PM

Quote from: DeaconKC on February 02, 2021, 11:26:13 AM
Froogal, it would have happened right after the Sandy Hook shooting under President Obama. ARs were impossible to find, .223 and 9mm just were unobtainium and folks were really afraid of what legislation he would try to pass. Nowhere near the level of this current run.

Must have been more of a regional thing. Until recently, I was able to find 9mm anywhere I looked.

Abilene · February 02, 2021, 03:39:29 PM

Quote from: DeaconKC on February 02, 2021, 11:26:13 AM
Froogal, it would have happened right after the Sandy Hook shooting under President Obama. ARs were impossible to find, .223 and 9mm just were unobtainium and folks were really afraid of what legislation he would try to pass. Nowhere near the level of this current run.

Yes, Sandy Hook was a big one. In fact, AR's probably started selling better after EVERY big-news shooting. Also when Obama got elected. I can understand some people wanting to go get an AR before they got banned (or so they thought, since that's all the politicos were talking about), but I never understood how that morphed into primer hoarding. Like Deacon sez, it was not nearly as bad then nor as long-lasting, they could be found with some effort and prices were still fairly "normal".

Reverend P. Babcock Chase · February 02, 2021, 07:39:35 PM

My memory for dates (or anything any more) is terrible. I do remember the post Sandy Hook problems. In addition to the AR scare, 9mm, .40 and .223 were bought out. Conspiracies about excessive govt. purchases drying up ammo were regular discussions.

But here's my take. when ammo is selling out at unheard of rates (scare hoarding and thousands, millions? of new gun owners), production falls behind and with no more capacity available there are shortages. Moreover ammo makers reason that it is better for the bottom line to put those primers into loaded ammo - greater profit. So ammo shortages breed primer shortages.

By the way, I have no idea what the solution is or when the problems will subside.

Sorry,
Rev. Chase

Abilene · February 03, 2021, 12:52:20 AM

And who can forget the big 22LR shortage?

I don't shoot that much 22 (cuz they're not cowboy guns, and I have little opportunity to plink). I do shoot my Diamondback on one stage and my Buckmark w/ red dot on 6 stages (it's my "rifle"), at an annual "Miami Vice" shoot. So I had a couple bricks or so around the house, and never panicked. But once I finally saw bricks for reasonable prices at a Bass Pro I certainly picked up a few more! Now that I think of it, I should probably add that to the list of stuff to get some more of even though I don't need it "for now".